Salmon Creek/Housatonic River Land Protection Project

Grant ID: F11AC00337

Grant Period: March 24, 2011 – March 31, 2016

Final Report: June 28, 2016

Submitted by: Marea Gabriel, The Nature Conservancy

Project Background:

The objective of this project is to acquire permanent conservation easements on riparian agricultural

and floodplain forest land within the Housatonic River watershed in Salisbury, CT to compensate for

natural resources injured as a result of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) released from the General

Electric Company facility in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Restoration is undertaken in accordance with the

provisions of a Consent Decree regarding the matter of United Sates of America, State of Connecticut,

Commonwealth of Massachusetts v. General Electric Company.

Funding for this project is supported by a cooperative agreement (No. F11AC00337) from the U.S.

Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), on behalf of the Natural Resource

Damage Assessment and Restoration programs of the Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration, and the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. As the

Agreement recipient, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) was awarded up to $557,810.00 of reimbursement

funds for 1) the acquisition of permanent conservation easements on 200 acres of riparian

agricultual and floodplain forest land along the Housatonic River mainstem and a tributary,

Salmon Creek, in Salsibury, CT, and 2) to develop management and restoration plans for these lands.

TNC entered into Sub-Award agreements with The Salisbury Association (TSA) and The Trustees of

Reservations (TTOR) to carry out easement acquisition, associated tasks, and the development of

property management plans, with TNC

reimbursing TSA and TTOR with Agreement

funds.

Project Location:

The subject properties are within the

Housatonic River watershed and part of a

highly scenic landscape visible from

Weatogue Road in Salisbury, CT (see

Exhibit A – D). They consist of open

agricultural fields with adjacent riparian

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The Grossman property from Weatogue Road. Photo Credit: The Salisbury Association.

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habitats, and are bounded on the east by the Housatonic River and the west by Weatogue Road.

Riparian areas include mature stands of eastern white pine and a corridor of more typical riparian

vegetation, including sycamore, American elm, red maple, and silver maple. The soils are classified as

either prime or additional important agricultural soils by the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Project Activities:

TNC worked with The Trustees of Reservations, The Salisbury Association, and the Housatonic Valley

Association to identify potential projects that would achieve the goal of conserving 200 acres of land

along portions of the Housatonic and/or Salmon Kill rivers in Salisbury, CT before the Agreement

expiration date of March 31, 2016.

A total of five projects (138.25 acres) were proposed to and approved by the Connecticut Trustee

SubCouncil. Of these, conservation easements (CE) were acquired on three properties totaling 102.25

acres along the mainstem Housatonic River (see Table 1.). Although negotiations were underway on the

remaining two properties, totaling approximately 36 acres, these easements did not come to fruition as

both owners ultimately could not reconcile the easement terms with the ongoing use of their lands.

Additionally, the 80-acre Bok tract was initially included in the 200-acre project total and was to be used

towards the $500,000.00 Agreement match; TTOR, however, agreed their payments for the 70-acre

Bottass CE could be used as the match, thus Bok was not needed which explains the reduction in overall

project acres.

Completed Projects:

Bottass / Shady Maple Farm – The Trustees of

Reservations acquired a CE over the 77.32-

acre Bottass tract from owner John V. Bottass

for the purchase price of $700,000.00.

Through a Sub-Award, TNC reimbursed TTOR

$174,447.00 of FWS funds towards purchase

of the CE (and later reimbursed The Salisbury

Association an additional $1,000.00 for the

Bottass Management Plan). TTOR agreed that

$500,000.00 of their CE acquisition cost could

be used to fulfill the FWS Agreement match.

Acquisition of Bottass will protect one mile of

frontage on the Housatonic River, floodplain and riparian habitats, and fertile agricutlural soils. The

specific terms of the conservation easement are aimed, in large part, at conserving the soils of the farm,

facilitating long-term, sustainable agricultural use, and allowing for the possibility of future habitat

Evidence of beaver activity on the Bottass property. Photo Credit: Tim Abbott.

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Table 1. Salmon Creek/Housatonic River Land Protection Project – five properties proposed to and approved by

the CT SubCouncil.

PROJECT NAME

STATUS ACRES CE HOLDER

CE VALUE CE PURCHASE PRICE

ACQUISITION EXPENSES

USFWS FUNDS USED

COMMENTS

Bottass/ Shady Maple Farm

Complete 77.32 TTOR $1,150,000.00 $700,000 .00 $174,447.00 CE value per appraisal; landowner had no donative intent. $500,000.00 of purchase price used as FWS match.

Bottass/ Shady Maple Farm

$1,000.00 $1,000.00 TSA contracted with the Housatonic Valley Assoc. for the Bottass Management Plan at a later date.

Grossman Complete 22.05 TSA $262,000.00 $140,000.00 $11,648.00 $151,648.00 CE value per appraisal; landowner had no donative intent.

Grossman $1,000.00 $1,000.00 TSA contracted with the Housatonic Valley Assoc. for the Grossman Management Plan after all other project expenses had been reimbursed.

Binzen Complete 2.88 TSA $30,000.00 $3,000.00 $25,866.22 $28,866.22 CE value per appraisal; landowner had no donative intent.

Fitch Incomplete 22.00 N/A _ _ $5,454.66 $5,454.66 Landowner decided not to pursue CE at this time, couldn't reconcile CE terms with his agricultural use of the land.

Whitbeck Incomplete 13.50 N/A _ _ _ _ Landowner decided not to pursue CE at this time, couldn't reconcile CE terms with his agricultural use of the land.

TNC Travel

_ _ $506.24 $506.24 Travel expenses related to site visits, landowner meetings

TNC Indirect

_ _ $7,374.32

$7,374.32 Indirect costs at TNC’s federally approved NICRA rate

TOTAL $370,296.44

restoration. Protection of the farm’s forested riverbank and use of sustainable agricultural practices will

provide important wildlife habitat, reduce soil erosion and river sedimentation, improve water quality

and aquatic habitats, and help to protect high priority calcareous wetland systems. General

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management reccommendations include addressing invasive, exotic plant species in the riparian

habitats and wooded field buffers and buffering a tributary stream to reduce inputs of nitrogen and

phosphorus (for details, see Natural Resource Inventory and Management Plan - Shady Maple Farm,

3/29/16). TTOR will annually monitor the conservation easement and, if necessary, enforce the

easement’s terms.

Grossman – The Salisbury Association acquired a

CE over the 22.05-acre Grossman tract from

owners Richard Grossman and Ann Aresnberg for

the purchase price of $140,000.00. Through a

Sub-Award, TNC reimbursed TSA a total of

$151,648.00 of FWS funds ($140,000.00

purchase plus $11,648.00 for project expenses);

and then later another $1,000.00 for the

Grossman Management Plan.

Acquisition of Grossman will protect 1180 feet of

frontage on the Housatonic River, floodplain and

riparian habitats, and open agricutlural fields. The purposes of the CE are to maintain the property in its

natural, scenic, and open condition, protect its ecological, agricultural, and aesthetic qualities, and to

prevent impairments to its conservation values or scenic views. The use of sustainable agricultural will

help conserve riverine habitat and enhance water quality, contributing to the high priority calcareous

wetland systems down river, and provide important wildlife habitat. General management

reccommendations include development of a Farm Plan if there are changes to agricultural use;

addressing invasive exotic plant species in the hedgerows, forested riparian buffers, and riverbank;

possible expansion of forested riparian buffer in certain areas; and a hayfield mowing regime that

accomodates nesting birds (for details see Natural Resource Inventory and Management Plan -

Grossman Easement, 3/30/16). TSA will regularly

monitor the CE and, if necessary, enforce its terms.

Binzen – The Salisbury Association acquired a CE over the

2.88-acre Binzen tract from owner Gaile Binzen for the

purchase price of $3,000.00. Through a Sub-Award, TNC

reimbursed TSA $28,866.22 of FWS funds ($3,000.00 plus

$25,866.22.00 for project expenses). Although only 2.88

acres, the Binzen tract protects approximately 600 feet of

frontage on the Housatonic River, floodplain and riparian

habitats, and open agricultural fields. A derelict cabin on

the premises has been removed and the site has been

Wooded buffer on the Grossman property. Photo Credit: The Salisbury Association.

Housatonic River and wooded buffer on the Binzen property. Photo credit: The Salisbury Association.

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restored with native vegetation.

The facilitation of sustainable

agricultural use will help conserve

riverine habitat. Binzen abuts the

22-acre former Grossman tract,

and together they protect nearly

1800 feet of river frontage,

providing important riparian

buffer for water quality protection

and wildlife habitat. The purposes of the CE are to maintain the property in its natural, scenic, and open

condition, protect its ecological, agricultural, and aesthetic qualities, and to prevent impairments to its

conservation values or scenic views. General management reccommendations include addressing invasive exotic

plant species on the property and monitoring areas restored with native plantings for new incursions of invasives

(for details see Natural Resource Inventory and Management Plan – Binzen Easement, 3/30/16). TSA will

regularly monitor the CE and, if necessary, enforce its terms.

Conclusion:

Under FWS Cooperative Agreement (No. F11AC00337), TNC reimbursed The Trustees of Reservations

and The Salisbury Association a total of $362,415.88 to protect 102 acres on three properteis through

acqusition of conservation easements and management recommendations as part of the Salmon

Creek/Housatonic River Land Protection Project. TNC invoiced the FWS another $506.24 for TNC

project-related travel and $7374.32 for TNC indirect costs, for a project total cost of $370,296.44.

The Salisbury Association has conserved more than 350 acres of riparian land along the Housatonic River

and The Trustees of Reservations own and manage the 329-acre Bartholomew’s Cobble Reservation,

which abuts the Bottass tract. The

protection of Bottass, Grossman, and

Binzen will yield significant public

benefit by adding to these previously

protected lands, enhancing the

magnitude and effect of Salisbury’s

conservation and protected open

space, and help to expand and link

more than five miles of permanently

protected open space along the river

running from the CT/MA state line to

a point opposite the mouth of the

Hollenbeck River, a tributary of the

Housatonic.

The Binzen cabin, before & after demo. Photo Credit: The Salisbury Association.

Field on the Grossman property, from Weatogue Rd. Photo Credit: Tim Abbott.

Map Projection:NAD 1983 StatePlane Massachusetts FIPS 2001 (meters)

Data Sources: Protected Openspace, Political Boundaries - CT DEEP GIS (2015), TTOR; Hydrology - MassGIS (2015); Tract Boundary - TNC GIS (2015).

Map Created by: M. Gabriel, TNC, June 9, 2016

Salmon Creek/Housatonic River Land Protection Project

USFWS Cooperative Agreement # F11AC00337

MAAREA

ENLARGED

CE - Conservation EasementTSA - The Salisbury AssociationTTOR - The Trustees of Reservations

The Trusteesof Reservations(Conservation

Easement)

The SalisburyAssociation CE

Canaan !H

LegendBottass/Shady Maple FarmGrossmanBinzenPrivate Protected

Town BoundaryPrimary & Secondary Roads

T

ex

t

Salisbury !H

TTORCE HousatonicRiver

Twin Lakes£¤7

£¤44

0 0.50.25Miles

1:24,000 ±

CT

TSACE

TSACE

£¤44

£¤7

CTMATTOR

TTOR

Blackberry River

EXHIBIT A

Map Projection:NAD 1983 StatePlane Massachusetts FIPS 2001 (meters)

Data Sources: Protected Openspace - CT DEEP GIS (2015), TTOR, TNC GIS; Topographic Map - ESRI ArcGIS Online & data partners including USGS & © 2007 National Geographic Society.

Map Created by: M. Gabriel, TNC, June 9, 2016

Salmon Creek/Housatonic River Land Protection Project

USFWS Cooperative Agreement # F11AC00337

MAAREA

ENLARGED

CE - Conservation EasementTSA - The Salisbury AssociationTTOR - The Trustees of Reservations

The Trusteesof Reservations(Conservation

Easement)

The SalisburyAssociation CE

LegendBottass/Shady Maple FarmGrossmanBinzenPrivate Protected

T

ex

t

TTORCE

0 0.50.25Miles

1:24,000 ±

CT

TSACE

TSACE

£¤44

TTORTTOR

EXHIBIT B

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Exhibit C. The Bottass Conservation Easement held by The Trustees of Reservations and

other nearby lands they protect.

Exhibit D. The Grossman and Binzen Conservation Easements held by The Salisbury

Association and other adjacent lands they protect.

TTORBottassEasement

TTOREasement

MAMA

CTCT

TTOREasement

TTORTTORTTORTTOR